We have a saying around here at APR that is consistently echoed and repeated by our Executive team: The best is yet to come. At almost every meeting, employee outing or even an occasional email, you’ll see or hear those words.

So what is your “best” for 2017? What goals or resolutions do you have? And most importantly, how do you keep them? Here are 3 easy tips to help make 2017 your best one yet.

1. Establish S.M.A.R.T goals for your resolution

S – Specific, M – Measurable, A – Agreed Upon, R – Realistic, T – Time-Based. By establishing “S.M.A.R.T” goals to your resolution, you are helping set yourself up for success. So your goal is to lose 24 lbs. in 2017. That means you need to lose 2 lbs. a month. Is that realistic? Okay, so how are you going to lose that 2 lbs. a month? Are you going to walk an extra 5,000 steps a day? The more you establish and follow the S.M.A.R.T goals, the easier it will be to follow and attain your resolution.

2. Find an accountability partner

What person in your life will help you succeed at attaining your goal? Find somebody who will not only hold you accountable but also keep you encouraged! Ask that person to send you encouraging words from time to time. Talk with this person weekly or monthly and let them know how your resolution is coming along.

3. Establish Monthly Reviews / Check-Ins

Set aside some time on your calendar every month to check in with your S.M.A.R.T goals. Did you fall behind a couple weeks? Why and what are you going to do differently to make sure that doesn’t happen again?

Let’s make 2017 the best yet. Share your goals and resolutions with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! We’d love to hear from you.

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. APR participated in various activates to help raise awareness about the cause.

Bake SaleOur annual bake sale, Bake for Hope, was held on Monday, October 24, 2016. Our volunteer bakers, Rose, Connie, Jennifer, Anni, John, and Jacqueline, donated a variety of beautifully made, delicious treats for our event. We packaged and sold chocolate cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, Russian tea cakes, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, and pink Hershey’s kisses. We talked with people and collected donations in the main lobby from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Everyone who came out was excited to participate. Many people were even brave enough to tell us about friends and family who survived a battle with breast cancer. We were touched by the outpouring of support we received. When the event concluded, we had raised $261.00 in donations. It was an amazing day and we are beyond grateful to everyone who contributed to make this event a success.

All donations were given to the City of Hope research and treatment center. Linda Stone chose the charity because she has previously worked with them and supports the work they do. City of Hope not only conducts research for breast cancer, but other forms of cancer as well. They are working on other methods to cure cancer such as using patients own blood cells to defend themselves from the cancer in order to reduce the use of chemotherapy or other harmful methods. Their treatment for every patient is individualized by case because not all methods work the same for every patient. They also help those patients who survive cancer transition to their old way of life with group sessions and support.

Halloween is coming up fast and your office might be planning some activities to celebrate the day. If you are planning on participating by dressing up in a costume, make sure your costume follows the dress code put in place by your HR department. Maybe you haven’t had time to think about what to wear, but you’d still like to participate, then these costumes are for you. Here is a list of easy, D.I.Y costumes that you can create with just a t-shirt.

If you have a sharpie and blank t-shirt, you could easily be a 404 error.

Sticking with the sharpie and t-shirt, just simply write life and carry around a few lemons.

You could easily be a spooky skeleton by cutting out an outline of a rib cage and layering it with another shirt.

With spray paint and electrical tape, you could easily create a one of a kind spider web.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of duct tape. Your options are endless.

Did you have an easy D.I.Y costume you created with a t-shirt? Send us an email at [email protected]

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APR welcomes Danny to the team as VP of Business Development. Danny started his career with the Public Transit Authority in Orange County, CA and transitioned into staffing in 2000. Danny’s worked for a Global IT Management firm in Europe, as well as an executive consultant in the gas, oil and retail industry. Danny has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Health Science / Nutrition and a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology.

In his free time (which is sparse due to the sports and activities of 3 school-aged children) he enjoys traveling and any sport or activity which takes him outdoors. As a family, he attempts to pair these passions.

Welcome Danny! What’s been your favorite part about working for APR so far?
My teammates, the organization’s vision and the company culture. It has been extremely humbling to be a 1st hand recipient of the openness and support I have received since joining. In addition, it doesn’t hurt having beer on tap in our Irvine office.

What do you enjoy most about being involved in business development?
The ability to forge, mend and/or grow mutually beneficial relationships with others. Simply put – we are in the ‘people business’, whether supporting our teammates, helping our customers achieve their goals or finding candidates their dream job.

What is a trip which you hope to take in the next couple of years?
While living in Sweden, we intended on skiing/snowboarding the mountains which lie adjacent to the Norwegian fjords. Unfortunately, it did not happen – but we plan on changing that sooner than later.

Where is one place you’d love to travel to?I can’t answer with just 1 response…Japan – to experience 1st hand their unique culture and Samoa – where I just may happen to bring along surfboards

The letters in APR stand for Accountability, Performance, and Results. What are some favorite things in your life that start with letters APR?Not only a fun question, but also quite introspective. A- Appreciation for life, we sometimes forget what is truly important; which leads right into the next letter, P- Perspective, keeping focus of the big picture and not getting overly distracted in the minutiae, and R- Resilience, at some point in our lives we will get ‘knocked down’, but what truly matters is that we get back up more times than we fall.

We are excited to have Danny join our team and look forward to seeing what great things he accomplishes with APR!

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Congratulations, you got the job! The job search is over. After applying for countless amount of jobs and interviewing so much it’s become second nature, you are almost over that mountain peak of finding and successfully keeping a new job. The last hurdle is your first day of work. Here are some simple “ABC’s” to help you have a successful first day.

Ask questionsA lot of information is given to you on your first day of work. You might not remember everything, but make sure to understand it. Not knowing the answers and trying to get through your first day can add stress to your first day. Asking questions will also help you engage conversation with others and start building relationships.

Be preparedThis might be obvious, but there is A LOT that goes into making sure you are prepared. Here are a few tips to make sure you are prepared:

Get a good night’s rest

Set out your outfit for the morning

Make sure you have gas in your car

Get to work early

Bring a pen and notebook to take note

Come with an open mindThe only thing that is constant is change. Showing flexibility and open your mind when talking with your fellow colleges.

Demonstrate ConfidenceYou were selected for a reason. Relax, be confident, and exude enthusiasm.